Many opinions exist regarding the true origin and meaning of the Eagleson name. It has commonly been spelt in various forms throughout the years like Eagleton, Eggleston, Egleton etc. although today it exists mainly in Northern Ireland as Eagleson.
It has been suggested the name derived from the Scottish surname Eaglesham but the variations date much further back than evidence of that. It has also been suggested that links with Scandanavian or Icelandic ancestors may exist.
One of the more official versions suggests it to be derived
from the English surname of Eagleston describing where a man once lived and has it’s source in either a chapelry in County Durham or Eagleston Abbey in Yorkshire. A person would take this name when moving away from that
area and would become known as John of Eagleston for example.
The name dates back to the twelfth century when one Roger de Egleston was recorded in the Pipe Rolls of Durham in the year 1196. Further references refer to Ralph de Egliston in Lancashire in 1260, the marriage of Margery Eggleston London in 1581. Among the first settlers of New England was Bigot Eggleston of Dorchester. His ancestors are reported to still live in Connecticut and New Haven.